Bevin Cohen is an award-winning author, herbalist, seed saver, and educator. He is the owner of Small House Farm and the founder of Michigan Seed Library Network, a community seed-sharing initiative that has helped establish more than one hundred seed library programs. Bevin offers workshops and lectures across the country on the benefits of living closer to the land through seeds, herbs, and locally grown food. He is a food and garden writer whose work has appeared in numerous publications including Mother Earth News, Modern Farmer Magazine, and The Journal of Medicinal Plant Conservation. Bevin is the author or editor of more than ten books, including Saving Our Seeds, The Artisan Herbalist, and The Complete Guide to Seed & Nut Oils. Learn more about Bevin’s work at www.bevincohen.com
Bevin is speaking in Texas and is a contributor to Mother Earth News Fair Online.Workshops
Check It Out!
Swaps and Seed Libraries
Learn all about the important role that seed swaps and seed libraries play in a preserving history, building community and supporting a localized food system. Bevin will not only highlight the significance of these programs, but will also show you the steps to establish a seed library or organize a seed swap for your community!
Hands On Sustainable Agriculture
Speaking At:
Seed-Saving Basics
Build a firm foundation of seed-saving knowledge with this introductory, 101-style video. Learn the difference between heirloom, hybrid, and GMO seeds; gather the equipment you'll need for successful seed harvesting; and discover why this traditional practice is still so valuable today!
Hands On Sustainable Agriculture
Speaking At:
Seed Stories
Learn how the living history of our heirloom seeds is just as important as the seeds themselves. In this video, Bevin shares exciting tales of heritage fruits and vegetables that have traveled the world, influencing the countries and cultures they encountered along the way. By saving and sharing seeds, we're also saving the history, cultures, and stories of the many generations of growers that have tended these precious seeds before us.
Hands On Sustainable Agriculture
Speaking At:
Seed Storage Basics
Once you've learned to harvest and clean your precious seeds, you'll need to know how to properly package and store them to maintain their health and viability! In this video, Bevin walks us through the various storage options available to the seed saver to help the viewer determine which method is best suited to their needs. This video also shows examples of seed storage from a number of well-known seed vaults around the world, including the Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah, Iowa, and the Svalbard Global Seed Vault located in Norway!
Hands On Sustainable Agriculture
Speaking At:
Saving and Sharing Seeds
Join us for an informative presentation from author Bevin Cohen that highlights the importance of saving and sharing our garden seeds and how to successfully do it at home. During this presentation you'll learn why planting, saving, and sharing seeds is essential to the cultivation of sustainable neighborhoods and healthy communities. Cohen will also share practical tips and advice on incorporating the traditional art of seed saving into your garden with demonstrations on how to harvest and process seeds, such as tomatoes, beans, lettuce and kale. Learn more at the MOTHER EARTH NEWS FAIR Online site: Maker Series Webinars
Natural Health Hands On
Speaking At:
Pollination and Varietal Purity
In order to be a successful seed saver, one must first understand how seeds are made! This video is packed full of useful information on flower structure and pollination, isolation distancing, blossom bagging and hand pollination techniques to ensure true-to-type seed purity
Hands On Sustainable Agriculture
Speaking At:
Planning your Garden for Seed Saving
Join author and seed saver Bevin Cohen as he shows how to plan your garden now for successful seed saving in the fall! Learn all about flower structure, pollination, isolation distances, population considerations, identifying fruit maturity and hybridization. Bevin will also cover how to maintain varietal purity as well as some amateur plant breeding techniques.
Organic Gardening Natural Health
Speaking At:
Texas, Sunday 2:00-3:00 p.m., Mother Earth Living Stage
Living an Herbal Life: Crafting teas, tinctures and oils at home
Join herbalist and author Bevin Cohen for a fun and informative herbal exploration. Discover the benefits of various cultivated and foraged herbs and explore why developing a relationship with our herbal allies is more important now than ever before. Learn more about the histories and uses of many herbs as well as the basics of crafting a number of herbal wellness products.
Natural Health Hands On
Speaking At:
Let’s Talk Tomatoes: America’s Favorite Fruit
Everybody loves tomatoes, but how much do you actually know about this tasty fruit's fascinating history? Author and seed saver Bevin Cohen will share exciting tales of how this South American fruit traveled around the world and back, influencing the cuisines and cultures of the many countries it encountered along its journey. Discover tips and tricks to maximize your tomato harvest. Learn just how easy it is to preserve this important history as Bevin demonstrates how to harvest tomato seeds.
Organic Gardening
Speaking At:
Texas, Saturday 3:30-4:30 p.m., Real Food Stage
Harvesting and Processing Wet Seeds
Many of our favorite garden crops produce "wet seeds." Bevin shows us just how easy it is to harvest, clean, and process these types of seeds; including melons, squash, and peppers. Learn tips and tricks to quickly extract ground cherry, tomatillo, and eggplant seeds, as well as how and why to ferment certain seeds, such as tomatoes and cucumbers.
Hands On Sustainable Agriculture
Speaking At:
Harvesting and Processing Dry Seeds
This is where the seed-saving fun begins! In this video, Bevin demonstrates various methods for harvesting and cleaning "dry seeds," including threshing, screening, and winnowing. Learn how to thresh and winnow a number of different seed types, including beans, peas, radishes, and kale!
Hands On Sustainable Agriculture
Speaking At:
Growing Herbs for Health and Happiness
Herbalist and author Bevin Cohen shows us just how easy it is to grow our own herbs for health and happiness! Learn how to cultivate, harvest and process a wide variety of different plants that you can use to craft teas, tinctures, liniments, vinegars and more. Bevin will share some of his favorite recipes and plenty of advice from his more than two decades as a practicing herbalist.
Natural Health Keynote
Speaking At:
Texas, Saturday 10:00-11:00 a.m., Mother Earth News Stage
Cold-Pressed Oils: Home-Scale Extraction for the Farm or Homestead
Learn how to produce high-quality seed and nut oils from homegrown and foraged crops. Whether you plan to produce oils for cooking, the apothecary, self-sufficiency, resiliency, or small-scale commercial or community production, Bevin will show you everything you need to know to succeed. Sharing his decade of experience as an oil presser, Bevin will discuss growing and processing oilseeds; equipment options for ease, cost, and convenience; as well as best-practice techniques for filtering, storing, and using your freshly pressed oils.
Modern Homesteading Organic Gardening
Speaking At:
Texas, Sunday 11:30-12:30 p.m., Real Food Stage